Chelsea is one of the most well-known football clubs in the world and although their most successful era is happening now, there’s no denying that they’ve had numerous incredible players throughout their history. Chelsea has been around since 1905 but it’s since the dawn of the 21st century that they’ve really become prominent, becoming a favourite to bet on for fans across the globe (check this handy guide if you want to know how to make the best of your Chelsea bets). They have brought some of the greatest players of all time to the team, and these are five of the best players Chelsea has ever had on its books.
John Terry
John Terry has earned his place on this list as one of the most reliable and skilled players of all time, enjoying a successful 23-year career. Terry was a natural-born leader and helped motivate Chelsea to achieve five league titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, a Champions League and a Europa League during his almost two-decade stint as a senior player at Stamford Bridge. He earned 78 caps during his time with the Blues and made over 700 appearances for the club, as well as being the club’s most decorated player.
Frank Lampard
Not many clubs can say that their record scorer is a midfielder, but Chelsea certainly can in the form of Frank Lampard. Lampard finished with a total of 211 goals before leaving for Manchester City in 2014 and he was a consistent player that made more than 30 appearances in his 13 seasons at Stamford Bridge, winning three Premier League crowns, four FA Cups, one Europa League and a Champions League.
Peter Osgood
Osgood was branded ‘King of Stamford Bridge’, a nickname that encapsulates his standing in the Chelsea community. He debuted as a striker for Chelsea in 1964 at just 17 years old and converted both goals into a 2-0 win over Wokington, a signal that he had great things in his future. Osgood went on to make 150 goals during his time with Chelsea. He was capped four times by England in the early 1970s too and is remembered as one of the best players in Chelsea’s history.
Petr Cech
Unsurpassed as the best goalkeeper Chelsea has ever had, Cech has produced some amazing performances – 494 to be exact – and he stands sixth in the list of all-time appearances for the club. He was a legendary player during in his eleven years between Stamford Bridge’s goal posts, most notably during the dream season of 2011-2012 where he stopped the penalty from Messi that may otherwise have seen Barcelona make the UEFA Champions League finals. However, his move to Arsenal left a sour note at the end of an otherwise solid career for the keeper at Chelsea.
Didier Drogba
Just three Chelsea players have scored on more occasions than Drogba, who beat the opposing goalkeepers 164 times during his time on the team. He was involved in four of the five Premier League successes Chelsea enjoyed and also had triumphs in three League Cups, four FA Cups and a Champions League. His significant achievement was in 2012 when he converted a penalty that won the Blues the Champions League trophy against Bayern Munich.
